Stir-Fried Eggplant in Mustard Sauce

Begun-er Jhaal

Eggplant cooked this way is one of my favorite dishes for a number of reasons. First of all, it brings back memories of our idyllic childhood centered around Mum who managed to create the most delicious meals on a thrify budget. That one sentence describes two of life's most important lessons she taught us - to put money away for a rainy day and to be proficient in the kitchen. 

Secondly, we eat first with our eyes which is why the bright purple color of eggplant is so pleasing to our palates. And having eaten eggplant as very young children, this vegetable has grown to become a favorite over a lifetime.

Stir-fried with sliced onions and tomatoes and then wrapped in a pungent and creamy mustard sauce, it's hard to describe the intense satisfaction derived from combining this dish with hot & steamy Basmati rice or a fluffy chapati/tortilla.

Several varieties of eggplant are available in supermarkets, but for this dish I prefer to use Oriental or Japanese eggplant which have minimal seeds and a much sweeter taste than the large oval ones.

Shorshe Bata Begun

Ingredients

4 Japanese eggplant, cut lengthwise down the center & cubed

2 medium onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic paste)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 hot green chili, diced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds

1 hot green chili, diced

2 Tbsp. black mustard seeds, soaked overnight in salted water with

   1 de-seeded dried red chili

1/4 tsp. sugar or to taste

1 hot green chili, diced (for garnish)

salt to taste

Directions

1. Toss eggplant pieces with salt & set aside.
2. Rinse mustard seeds (in a tea strainer) to remove excess salt.
3. Blend mustard seeds with 1/2 cup water to a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high & sputter cumin seeds & 1 chili.
5. Fry garlic & onions until onions turn translucent.
6. Add eggplant, stir & fry until eggplant pieces are golden brown.
7. Add tomatoes to skillet, followed by mustard paste and stir gently.
8. Cover, simmer for 5 minutes & adjust salt & sugar to taste.
9. Garnish with remaining diced chilies and serve as a side dish.

Tuna Melt Wraps

Tuna Melt Wrap with Green Onions

Tuna Melt Wrap with Dill

Packaged tuna fish now comes in a variety of flavors. I picked up a package of Tuna Creations of the Lemon Pepper variety and was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. If tuna is not readily available where you live, substitute any flaked fish seasoned with lemon & pepper powder, mayonnaise and anything else you fancy. 

The other necessary ingredient is the bread and I chose to use a flour tortilla. The 'melt' component comes from the cheese for which a slice of pepper jack cheese gave it a spicy kick.

To toast the wrap, a small cast iron frying pan did the trick. This sandwich was a golden, crispy brown on the outside with an ooey-gooey center. 

Great for lunch and it all came together in under 5 minutes!

Ingredients (makes 2 wraps)

1 (2.6 oz.) pkg. Starkist Tuna Creations (Lemon Pepper flavor)

2 slices pepper jack cheese, cut in half

2 stalks green onions or dill, minced 

2 dabs of butter

2 small flour tortillas

Directions (for each wrap)

1. Melt a dab of butter in a small cast iron frying pan over medium heat.
2. Place a tortilla in the pan and heat one side.
3. Flip tortilla over, layer with 2 halves of a cheese slice, half the tuna and some green onions or dill.
4. Fold other half of tortilla over filling and press edges together to seal with cheese.
5. Fry both sides of wrap until golden brown.
6. Transfer to serving plate, cut in half and garnish with green onions or dill.

Hasselback Potato

Hasselback Potatoes

This makes an excellent side for dinner and is so easy to prepare! If your family likes baked potatoes, this will soon become a favorite. One way to speed up the baking process is to leave the skin on for maximum nutrition, prick each potato all over with a fork, rub the surface with oil, salt and pepper and microwave one at a time for 2 minutes. The potatoes will be semi-cooked which also makes it easier to score with a knife. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, sprinkle the necessary ingredients over top and in the crevices and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese melts. Tastes yummy!

Half a Hasselback Potato Served with
Salisbury Steak & Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients

1 russet potato, scrubbed under running water

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt & pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder

2 Tbsp. grated cheese

1 Tbsp. bacon bits (optional for vegetarians)

1 stalk scallions/green onions, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*F & place a rack on a baking sheet.
2. Prick potato with a fork on all sides.
3. Rub with oil, salt & pepper and microwave on high power for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from microwave & score with a serrated knife 2/3 of the way down.
5. Season with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder.
6. Place on a rack in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon bits (if using) and bake another 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Huevos Con Queso - Microwaved Eggs with Hot Peppers & Cheese

Microwaved Eggs with Hot Peppers & Cheese

The best dishes are created when one is ravenous. Lunch was late today because I had only myself to cater to. Earlier in the day, a Pinterest post caught my eye - 12 Ways to Cook Eggs in the Microwave. I've done that before with great success, so when my stomach began to growl, I raided the fridge and came up with this heartwarming and oh-so satisfying one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

1 wheat tortilla

1 cup left-over chicken fajitas or taco meat (optional)

1 handful cilantro, minced

1 green onion, minced

1 green chili, minced

2 Tbsp. grated cheese

Directions:

1. Break eggs into a microwave-safe dish and beat well with salt & pepper.
2. Tear tortilla into pieces and top with remaining ingredients, except cheese.
3. Mix everything together and microwave on high for 2-1/2 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle with cheese & microwave for another 30 seconds until eggs set.

Serve for lunch with fruit or salad for a hearty meal. Notice I didn't use any butter or oil so it's fat-free.

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak

For Christmas dinner this year we had Salisbury Steak for a main dish. In our family, we can tolerate turkey and ham only once a year, for Thanksgiving, and beef seemed like a viable option for Christmas dinner. 

The butcher had blade steaks already flattened and 'cubed' meaning chopped without cutting all the way through the steak. This tenderizes the steak so that it's quick and easy to cook. When I defrosted the steaks a couple of days later I found that the butcher had, very considerately, placed a slip of parchment paper between each steak to make them easy to separate.

This can be made with hamburger patties, but cubed steaks taste better. We had these with several vegetable sides and everything had to be kept simple and palatable to suit the taste of our three grandsons, two aged 7 and one 8. They cringe at the sight of onions so I blended the French onion soup to make the gravy.

2015 Christmas Dinner

Ingredients:

8 cubed steaks

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 (10 oz.) Campbell's French Onion Soup, blended

1 (8 oz.) cup chicken broth or water

1 Tbsp. tomato ketchup

Directions:

1. Season flour with salt, pepper and garlic, and place on a plate.
2. Add one steak at a time to the seasoned flour, shake until completely coated and transfer to a clean plate.
3. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook 2 steaks at a time in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side until browned.
4. Transfer browned steaks to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. 
5. Add any leftover seasoned flour to oil in which steaks were browned and toast to a golden brown.
6. Add soup, broth and ketchup to toasted flour, stir well and bring to a boil. 
7. Lower heat to low and add steaks to simmering gravy.
8. Cover and cook steaks on low heat for 20 minutes or until tender.

Serve over cooked egg noodles with a side of mashed or baked potatoes.